Postal cabinet



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

.L. O.'GRAY.

POSTAL CABINET.

No. 275,194. Patented Apr. 3, 1883.

' L. GRAY;

POSTALOABINBTf No.275,194. V PatentedApr,3,1883.

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.) I

- LIL-GRAY.

POSTAL QABI NBT. v N0. 275 194. Patented A 123,1883.

2= .1 1;. WITNESSES: pld mm UNITED STATES PATENT ()EEICE.

LYMAN O. GRAY, OF FORT DODGE, IOWA.

POSTAL CABINET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 275,194, dated April 3, 1883.

Application filed March 2, 1883. (No model.)

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LYMAN CALVIN GRAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Dodge, in the county of Webster and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Postal Cabinets; and I do hereby-declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention consists of one or more removable leaves or sections, in connection with a suitable support having suitably-formed receptacles to contain letters or other written or printed matter and similar packages, and so constructed that the said matter can be quickly and easily arranged and distributed, and that when so arranged in such receptacles the designation of the said matter will be at once presented to the eye by a properly-arranged index on the margin of the leaves or pockets at a single inspection.

The device is adapted to be employed in various ways and for various purposes, as hereinafter more fully described.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improvement in a simple elementary form. Fig.2 is an end view of the same, with additional dotted lines to show another cabinet With leaves arranged for shipment. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of my improvement in another form of cabinet, and Fig. 4 a similar view of a cabinet with myimprovement adapted for use in post-offices. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the device on line as of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of one of the leaves of the cabinet; Fig. 7, a detached view of a leaf; Figs. 8 and 9, detail views of modifications; and Fig. 10, a detached view of a slip on which reference-letters, &c., are placed.

In the drawings, 1 in Fig. 1 represents a hanging surface, which,as shown,is composed of two pieces of wood or metal, one set at an angle to the other, and joined at their edges by any suitable means.

Zrepresentsa section of leaves, each of which is composed of tin or other material, (although tin, by reason of its thinness, lightness, and other qualities, is preferred,) and constructed as follows: A piece of binders press-board, or

a strip of any other thin, dense, and elastic material selected asapanehiscut to the length and width for the desired sized leaf. Then 5 suitable pieces of tin are taken and turned over the edges of the panel to form hems around the edges of the same. The hems are fastened to each other at their adjacent corners by soldering. In Fig. 5 the space consti- 6o tuting the corners of the cabinet maybe lined with wood.

In the drawings, 3 represents the panel, and 4 the inclosing-hems. 5 represents the pockets,attached to the said hems for the reception 6 5 of letters, &c. They are also preferably formed of tin or other elastic material. When tin is used a piece of the same is taken, a narrow hem, 6, formed on one edge, and the pocket 5 is formed by turning the same up by the same sort of folder employed to turn the hems. Commencing at the bottom of the leaf or section, each piece of tin, with the porket formel thereon, is soldered byits upper and lower corners to the face of the leaf. The strip of which the pocket is made is sufficiently narrow to admita margin of the hem to extend on both sides of the pockets the entire length of the leaf, for the purpose of placing thereon the index characters, as hereinafter described. Each 8 successive pocket is soldered on the pocketstrip below it. This leaves a slight space in the side of each pocket, in which space a slip,

1 2, (shown in Fig. 10,) may be placed, and on which slips are also placed reference letters or figures.

The construction of the hems and pockets, as just described, is shown in the sectional views, Figs. 5 and 6. Each leaf, as there shown, is provided on both sides with these 0 pockets, and at least one pocket should be placed opposite to and impinge upon a pocket of the adjoining leaf, so that the contents of the pockets shall not be disturbed by the friction of the leaves. Each leaf, as shown. is pro- 5 vided with pieces oftubing 8,ofsuitable length, soldered directly onto its inner edge,by which the leaf may be hung on hooks 9.

It is essential to my invention that when more than one leaf is employed in a cabinet or :00 with a corresponding support they shall be so hung that when the leaves are closed upon each other the margin of each leaf shall extend laterally beyond the margin of the one in front of it, so that the marginal index of one side of the entire set of leaves may be presented to the eye at a single glance. To accomplish this arrangement I first place the leaves on the top of each other, as shown, for instance, in Fig. l, accuratelyarranging them, so that the same width of margin may be given to each leaf, and so, too, that the width of each margin may at least equal the thickness of the leaf, measuring from the outer surface of a pocket on one side of the leaf to the outer surface of the pocket on the opposite side of the same leaf. This is necessary in order that each leaf shall swing to at least a right angle with the following leaf when the latter is 'in a closed position. Having thus arranged the leaves, I carefully mark the proper points at which to attach the hooks on the supporting-frame, so that when the leaves are hung thereon they will be maintained in the same relative position for the display of the marginal indexes, as above described, whether swunginward or outward.

Figs. 1, 3, and 4 show different forms of cabinets to which my improvement may be applied. Fig. 1 is the simplest form, showing, as above described, a cabinet composed of two pieces of wood, to which a single section of leaves is attached, and a similar section may be added to form a box, as shown in Fig. 2, in which condition such a cabinet can be easily transported. A cabinet of the form shown in Fig. l is adapted for use in offices where the employment of a very large number of leaves is not necessary. In Fig. 3 a cabinet with a double section of leaves is shown. In Fig. 4 acabinet is shown particularly adapted for use in post-offices, and letters are shown with their addresses displayed opposite to a proper marginal designation. In that figure, 10 indicates a delivery-window with sections of leaves arranged on either side. These sections are shown in said figure as closed, and they may be kept closed, when not locked within infolding doors, by a bar, 11, reaching across the front sections and restingin opposite pockets. 1n the latter form of cabinet an attendant, by standing between the two sections, has easy access to all the leaves for the purpose of distributing the letters among the proper receptacles, and for the delivery of the same to their recipients.

The index characters may be placed on the margin, as heretofore mentioned, or may be placed on separate slips, 12, the form of which is shown in Fig. 10. These slips are made of tin and bent into arms of unequal length, and adapted to slip under the flat part above the pockets. They are convenient in enabling the index of the pockets to be shifted at will, and may be placed at either the sides of the pocket or attached to the bottom of the pockets, or at both places, as shown at Figs. 4 and 7. It is quite apparent that the sub-combinations of the alphabet, as well as figures, may be employed to constitute the index. It will be seen that the leaves, with the tubular hearings on their edges, can be easily shifted from one side of the cabinet to the other, or to books placed to the right, as well as to the left, of the leaves.

Figs. 8 and 9 show partial modifications of the above-described arrangements. In Fig.8 the hooks are shown attached to a round support, which may revolve and correspond to a revolving post in book-standards. In such an arrangement, when the leaves are extended around the support the marginal display is of course not maintained in the same manner as in the other forms of cabinets, nor is it essential'for convenient use in such form that it should be. In Fig. 9 is represented a simple cornersupport, that may be attached to the inside corner of a room or desk, and adapted for use for a limited number of letters or other packages. As before intimated, these various forms of cabinets and supports may be inclosed by suitable doors, which may be locked, and thus the contents of the leaves preserved in safety. As the leaves are easily detachable from their supports, they can,in case of fire or removal of place of business, be quickly taken down, packed, and carried away, or removed separately. So, too, if desirable, and without departing from my invention, one or more leaves may be attached to a desk within or upon it, or attached to a supporting removable frame placed within the desk, the whole of which can be taken from the desk when desired.

My invention is adapted to be used wherever it is desirable to assert mattersuch as letters, packages, newspaper clippings, and documents of all sorts-4n a certain order for easy reference.

Among the advantages of my improvement over the form of pigeon-hole cabinets now commonly in use for the same purpose are, the great amount of space saved, the expense of construction, the ease of access, and the increased facility of distribution and delivery.

It will be found that wherever a set of receptacles is desired to hold matter in substantially the same form and for the same purpose of ready access as now followed in post-offices my improvement will be found advantageous in all the respects just mentioned.

I have described certain forms of my invention as madepreferably of certain material and constructed and arranged in a particular manner; but itis quite evident that the materials,v

exhibitor is old provided with a series of hinged frames attached to and swinging outward with the door, and the margins of which extend successively one beyond the other, as shown and described in Patent No. 180,183; also, that marginal indexes and removable leaves in albums, &c., are old, and I do not therefore claim any such structures but What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device for holding letters, documents, and similar articles, the combination, with a suitable support, of the superimposed leaves connected at one edge to and swinging on the said support, the pockets-such as 5- and the marginal index characters, arranged substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The leaves hung at their edges and -removable from their supports, each leaf extendinglaterally beyond the margin of theleaf 20 in front of it when the same are either entirely opened or closed, in combination with the pockets and the marginal index, the characters of which are arranged directly adjacent to said pockets, substantially as and for the purpose described. 3. The combination and arrangement of the leaves arranged in sections and provided with pockets 5, at least one of said pockets being placed opposite to and impinging upon. the pocket of the adjoining leaf, whereby the leaves are adapted to swing and close against each other without disturbing the contents of the pockets by contact of the leaves, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LYMAN CALVIN GRAY. Witnesses:

W. H. DOOLITTLE, D. P. OoWL. 

